Entertainment

Noise Annoys: FIghting talk from Belfast band Duellists

Pete McCavery from Belfast rock trio Duellists discusses their crunching new single Into The Fade and its horror movie inspired video, their forthcoming debut album and why he and former Throat men Mike Barr and Rus Crookes have stuck together through the years

Belfast's Duellists (l-r: Mike Barr, Pete McCavery, Rus Crookes) release their new single Into The Fade today
Belfast's Duellists (l-r: Mike Barr, Pete McCavery, Rus Crookes) release their new single Into The Fade today Belfast's Duellists (l-r: Mike Barr, Pete McCavery, Rus Crookes) release their new single Into The Fade today

WHOSE idea was the video for your new single Into The Fade? Was it fun to shoot your own tribute to the classic Stephen King-penned horror, Christine?

It's no surprise that Mike [Barr, drums] was the architect: He owns a ‘57 Chevy which I’m told is very similar to the Plymouth Fury from Christine, so it all made sense.

We pitched the idea to our friend Marty Stalker who had directed a video for us in the past and he was totally onboard. It was great fun to shoot, I don’t think we are going to launch any acting careers any time soon but we are really happy with it.


You recently completed recording your debut album, also titled Into The Fade. How would you describe it to the uninitiated? Can you tell us a bit about the recording process?

The recording process was great, we recorded the album in in two halves between 2016 and 2017 with Caolán Austin up in Smalltown America studios. We love working with Caolán as he knows exactly what we want even if we are terrible at articulating it.

When it came to mixing the album we contacted Kurt Ballou who plays in one of our favourite bands, Converge, thinking there was no chance he would get involved.

It turned out he had just had a cancellation for the next week so we had a mixed album four days later!



I’d say the album has a 90s noisy rock feel to it. When I listen to it I can definitely hear influence from the likes of Fugazi, Failure and the Bronx. Energetic, noisy, melodic punk rock... if that is possible!

How long have Duellists been together and why did you first form?

Well, our last band The New West fizzled our at some point and all of us stopped playing music altogether.

Eventually, I really wanted to start a hardcore band, so I started jamming a few ideas I had with Mike. We naturally asked Rus to play bass once we had a few songs together and then we started to gig by October 2015.

I think our previous band could have been labelled as 'alternative rock' and we just wanted to be a part of something more extreme, and much more intense.

All three of you were also previously in the band Black Bear Saloon, which seemed to end just as you were getting going. What happened?


I think it just felt like it had run its course. I still listen back to that material fondly. There are a bunch of nearly finished songs we had back then which sort of fit with what we are doing now, so hopefully they will see the light of day some time in the future.

Mike and Rus first came to prominence in the fondly remembered Throat. Is there any chance they will ever re-unite, even for a one-off show?


If it means Mike will stop reminding everyone of how he wrote the guitar riff to Soho then yes I’m all for it.

But seriously, I don’t think so – the guys were happy with what they achieved back then, so it doesn’t look likely [Boo! Hiss! – Noise Annoys].

Are all three Duellists into the same kind of music or are there certain bands/artists you strongly agree/disagree over?

We all bonded over a love of the likes of Fugazi, The Jesus Lizard, Jawbox, and Quicksand, really helped shape the way we approach our instruments as well as songwriting.

Aside from that there is definite friction! Rus and I tend to lean towards extreme punk and hardcore alongside artists like Nick Cave, The National and St Vincent – or, as Mike calls them, "depressing nonsense".

We are slightly concerned by the fact that Mike is more enthusiastic about Def Leppard's Hysteria arena tour than he is about our band.

A lot of people burn-out or age-out of playing music. What’s kept you guys going through multiple bands over all these years?

It helps that we are all good friends. If we aren’t playing music together we are at the cinema or at gigs together. I think the main reason though is that we really don’t care what happens in the end.

I have seen so many bands fold through frustration that they didn’t reach the dizzying heights of fame. We just love writing songs and playing together – everything else is a bonus.

Was music better in the 1990s?

Yes no question. I’m pretty sure Ed Sheeran wasn’t around in the 90s, so that’s a good enough reason for me.

What’s next for Duellists? Do you have any live shows coming up to promote the single or album?

We’ve spent a lot of time and money on getting the album the way we want, and we are all glad to have it finally done.

We are working on a few shows over the summer with our friends in THVS throughout the north. We would love to play farther afield and hopefully do a UK run if we can make it work, so the plan is to release Into The Fade, then follow it up with the album at some point in August and gig as much as our hectic adult lives will let us.

:: Into The Fade is available to stream and buy now via Duellists.bandcamp.com. You can see the Into The Fade video screened prior to tonight's Beanbag Cinema screening of Christine at The Strand Arts Centre, Belfast. Tickets £6 via Tinyurl.com/christinestrand


THIS WEEK'S MOST ANNOYING NOISES: Biggest Weekend in Belfast edition


I Exhale – Underworld


Masses Against The Classes – Manic Street Preachers


Bombscare – Touts


Fire – Dream Wife


Tasteless – Shame


Signal 30 – Public Service Broadcasting


Satan – Orbital


Beercan – Beck


Help Your Self – Courtney Barnett


Wait In The Car – The Breeders


Annabel – Ash